How to Find The Root Cause of Your Digestive Problems

This is a picture of my annual re-testing regimen. It includes an array of the best quality blood testing, urine testing, saliva testing, and stool testing… OH MY!

This year, it set me back another $2,057.

YIKES!

Here’s the breakdown of my annual re-testing regimen:

1. 1. Metametrix #2205 Stool Test
   2. Metametrix #0091 Organic Acids Urine Test
   3. BioHealth #205 Functional Adrenal Stress Profile Saliva Test
   4. BioHealth #401H GI Pathogen Screen Stool Test
   5. Dr. Kalish’s Mind Mapping Brain Chemistry Testing (Urine)
   6. A LabCorp Comprehensive Blood Test Panel

Why spend so much on testing… especially when I feel better than ever?

Because I’m committed to completely reversing my chronic illness, no matter what it takes… no matter what the cost.

I take my annual checkup very seriously. It’s how I monitor my healing journey. It’s how I make sure the problems I’ve already overcome aren’t rearing their ugly head again. And it’s how I learn even more from my Functional Medicine mentors about reversing chronic illness…

Not only that, but ultimately, it’s how I uncover the deeper root causes of my disease.

Because Overcoming Chronic Illness is Like Peeling Back the Layers of an Onion

(Yes, I know it’s cliché…)

But it’s true.

We’re all after the root cause of why we got sick, the smoking gun that will show us the answers.

But I believe most of us got here because multiple things combined to make us sick… and it can be a long, windy road to uncovering these multiple issues that caused the sickness.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned working with our 1-on-1 private clients, it’s that there’s rarely a definitive “smoking gun”…

For example, over the last 7 years I’ve peeled back the layers of my onion, getting deeper and deeper into uncovering what started it all (and it wasn’t just gluten).

If you’re just getting to know me, here’s a glimpse of a few of the layers I peeled back:

2007 – Celiac Disease Diagnosis

2009 – The Gluten-Free Diet not working, but the Specific Carbohydrate Diet stops my diarrhea in 7 days (for the first time in 4 years)

2010 – SIBO, Low Stomach Acid, Poor Enzyme Production

2011 – The GI Parasite Strongyloides, MTFHR Gene Expression, Poor Glutathione Production

2012 – Stage 3 Adrenal Fatigue, Serotonin & Dopamine Insufficiency

Notice it started with the big stuff… like gluten and diet. But it got more and more refined each year.

As I peeled back each layer and treated it, I got better and better.

It was a predictable pattern…

I’d peel back a layer, treat it and get better, and then go, “ok, what’s next?” – and keep peeling.

With each layer, I’d discover something new, something hidden beneath all the other problems I couldn’t see before.

To give you another analogy, it’s like going up a set of stairs where you can only see the next step in front of you.

You take a step and the next stair appears. Then, you take that next step and another stair appears. Each step takes you closer to your destination, yet you have no idea how many steps it’s going to take before you get there.

Stairs or onions… either way it can be a long process to figure out the real reason you got sick.

And the secret to discovering each root cause of your illness is a 4-step process

We call it the “4-step process for unlocking stomach problems.”

But it’s more than just that. Honestly, it’s more like…

The 4-Step Process to Peel Back the Layers of Your Chronic Illness

1. 1. Get reliable Functional Medicine testing done (Blood Serum, Hormones, GI Tract, Liver Detox, etc.)
   2. Work with a skilled practitioner who knows how to interpret your results
   3. Create a protocol to fix each of the problems that were found on the tests
   4. After the protocols are finished, retest to make sure you fully restored the body system

It seems simple… but if you follow those four steps you’ll peel back layers… one by one.

This is exactly the same process I followed to find each root cause of my illness and how I peeled back each layer of my onion (and how I continue to get healthier and healthier today).

For example, you might discover Stage 3 adrenal fatigue and work on correcting that for 6-12 months… making huge improvements to your energy and inflammation. Next, you might find you have SIBO and need to follow a 60-day herbal protocol to get rid of that. Then, you might have a parasite to treat… and so on and so on.

But each layer successfully peeled back makes you feel better. And that’s what’s important. With each root cause fixed, you’re getting rid of symptoms left and right.

But if you take anything away from this post… I want you to know that there isn’t just one “smoking gun” root cause of your illness.

There are many.

And discovering each one and treating it will get you one step closer to symptom-free.

The first step is all about testing…

Skilled Practitioners + Reliable Test Results = Finding Root Causes

Test results are how I discovered each root cause of my illness, how I peeled back each layer of my onion… and how I continue to get healthier and healthier.

But remember, not just any tests, the secret sauce is in ordering the RIGHT tests.

You could throw money randomly at the wall and order a battery of tests costing $3,000-$8,000 like some of our 1-on-1 private clients have told us about. Or check into some of the world renowned clinics you’ve probably heard of for $10,000 to $20,000…

Alternatively, you can work with skilled practitioners, most of whom have battled back from their own sickness, to find out what the right tests are to peel back each layer.

A skilled practitioner can help you find the right tests for you… and help you discover the root causes of your illness.

Not everyone needs a crazy re-testing regimen like I’m using now, and I’ll admit I’m OCD about measuring my progress…

But if you’re ready to peel back the layers of your onion and discover the root causes of your illness…

Work With a Skilled Practitioner Today

Skilled functional practitioners played a critical role in helping us get better, and want that same thing for you. It’s the absolute best way to discover and start working on ALL the root causes that led to your chronic illness.

Because of that, we’ve created a trusted place for you to find a skilled functional practitioner and start working with them right now.

This new resource is called our “Recommended Practitioners Page.” Go check it out here.

Skilled Functional Practitioners seem impossible to find, especially ones who truly understand the process of peeling back the layers of the onion.

And when you do find them word spreads fast, and they get so booked up that their waiting list is months out. These types of people are just flat out RARE!

So we’ve gone out and built relationships with those people for you.

These are practitioners who can help you get the testing and protocols you need, but also support you in the diet, supplement, and lifestyle changes that your body is asking you for.

The first two trusted resources are ready to work with you right now…

If you’d like to start working with a trusted, skilled functional practitioner right now, Brie and Stephanie are waiting and excited to help you get at the root cause of your issues.

–> Click here to book an appointment with one of these trusted practitioners

Please know that you are the fuel that keeps us going. Hearing your stories of transformation and empowerment is what fills us up. Thank you for being a part of this awesome community.

In good health,

– Jordan